Highlights
- Cowboy Bebop celebrates its 25th anniversary with a unique line of fragrances inspired by the series’ main characters, appealing to older fans.
- The three scents capture the essence of Spike, Faye, and Julia, incorporating their personalities and story arcs into the fragrances.
- The perfume line adds a mature and classy touch to the Cowboy Bebop brand, aligning with the anime’s retro atmosphere and targeting an older demographic.
Cowboy Bebop turned 25 this year, and the anniversary has been celebrated throughout the entire year with various events, pop-ups, and collaborations. The latest new merchandise is here, and it may surprise you, because it is not your typical anime goods. Taking a more mature turn, the latest Cowboy Bebop goods to be announced is a brand-new line of inspired fragrances, based on the images of the series’ iconic main characters.
Cowboy Bebop first aired in Japan in 1998, running for 26 episodes in total. Due to its popularity, it was also dubbed into English and released internationally, where the anime found arguably even more fame than it had in Japan. Cowboy Bebop was successful enough to inspire a full-length animated movie, and more recently, a live-action remake on Netflix. While that remake may not have found the success it was looking for, it did pave the way for other anime to follow suit with English live-action versions.
RELATED: Anime Expo: Cowboy Bebop Character Designer on Series Anniversary (And His New Project)
Until the anniversary, Cowboy Bebop had virtually gone off the radar in Japan. But though it was gone, it was not forgotten, as the array of new things to celebrate its 25th anniversary have shown. This new line of fragrances was announced last week by the perfume company FAIRYTAIL, which has a physical shop in the otaku shopping paradise of Nakano Broadway in Tokyo.
In total, three different scents are being released. They are based on the leading main character Spike Spiegel, feme fatale Faye Valentine, and Spike’s old lover Julia. In addition to the scents themselves, FAIRYTAIL is also releasing some special diffusers inspired by Spike’s past and future. The three scents come in three different styles of bottle, each unique to that character, and have character art on the box. Each one costs ¥4,400 ($29 USD).
Spike’s scent is “wild spicy bergamot,” which is meant to capture his strong energy while still having some mystery, much like Spike’s shady past that is only revealed slowly over time. Faye’s is “spicy floral,” which is meant to at first seem hedonistic and sexy like Faye’s initial impression, but finish with a calming musk to represent her search for who she truly is over the duration of the story. Finally, Julia’s scent is “floral floral,” which has a feminine rose smell to show her beauty, and a gentle ending note to show the dream of a life with Spike that she had.
It is no secret that many of Cowboy Bebop‘s fans are over 30 years old, especially considering the anime was at its height 25 years ago. It makes sense that, in an effort to market to an older group of otaku, companies are looking for products that this demographic would be interested in. Rather than toys and posters, new goods like perfume that can be not only displayed but used are very appealing. Perfume and fancy diffusers also go with the classy but retro vibe that helps make Cowboy Bebop‘s atmosphere so special.
The perfumes are already on sale at the Cowboy Bebop 25th Anniversary Exhibition in Shibuya, which opened last Friday. They will also be available online via Amazon and the shop DREAMING PRINCESS from November 20th, as well as at the FAIRYTAIL physical store in Nakano.
Watch Cowboy Bebop now on Prime Video.
Source: PRTimes
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